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RJ Sheperd

@rjsheperd.com
1.3K followers 3.2K following 1.4K posts

Sentient human interested in all things Cycling / Transit / Cities / Decentralized Web / Lisp / Clojure / Geospatial. 📍 Portland, OR Check out: #RailSky #WalkNRoll #PDXBikes #BikeBus #Transit #YIMBY #DWeb #Clojure #GIS #maps

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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 10/09/2026
Good. @tinakotek.bsky.social AI only stands to capture even more gains to the wealthy, rather than create prosperity for all. Even Anthropic admits this! Not only would Income Tax receipts get hammered, you would likely see even further consolidation/monopolization of the economy, increasing COL.
Finding 4: Labor vs. capital shareThe pie will grow, but a larger share might go to capital

Today, of each dollar the economy produces, about 60¢ goes to workers and 40¢ go to capital. If the economy grows, but AI automates more tasks, more of each dollar might go to capital. This can happen even when wages for all workers rise substantially. If capital becomes more useful for more things, it will be in higher demand, which raises its price. In that world, more of the gains from a growing economy flow to owners of capital.

We find that the labor share falls noticeably in the substantial and extreme scenarios, and the capital share rises. Average wages rise—non-knowledge workers are paid much more—but wages for knowledge workers stagnate or decline alongside worsening unemployment.

[Emphasis mine] In the extreme scenario, the gains from a rapidly expanding economy are unevenly distributed. Most knowledge workers face either lower wages or unemployment, and workers overall get a smaller fraction of the larger pie. Total labor income is barely changed by 2030.

In this scenario, the main challenge is not achieving economic growth, but making sure the benefits are broadly shared and the costs aren’t unequally dispersed.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 01/09/2026
And now we're #7 in terms of global AQI 🙃
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 01/09/2026
Seeing multiple posts today on r/portland about how much gas is approaching $6/gallon, meanwhile wildfire smoke is inundating Portland once again. It's almost like #ClimateBreakdown and the COL crisis are... connected? 🤔
Chevron gas station showing $5.79/gas regularMap of Portland Air Quality Index showing 50+ AQI
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 28/08/2026
Whoever can solve this issue will be a multi-millionaire. Personally I think we're just going to see municipalities start to replace concrete corners with asphalt + "blended curbs" (which is what you see a lot of in the UK)
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 28/08/2026
Not prohibited, but where the wheelchair is supposed to land needs fully in the crosswalk. Also, the PROWAG docs seem to prefer two curb ramps to help support the idea of that each ramp is in the "direction of travel", even if they are diagonal. (Source: www.access-board.gov/prowag/techn...)
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 27/08/2026
Investing some portion of these funds in programs like @bikebuspdx.org / Cycle Oregon will build up children's independence and confidence. Investing these funds Safe Routes to School infrastructure can enable students to safely get to school by walking/biking (with their friends).
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 26/08/2026
San Diego airport is such a joke. ❌ No train/tram connection ❌ Bus to the trolley only every 20min ❌ Bus to the center of the downtown only every 15 min Their Solution? Wait in a line of 400+ people to board a Rental car shuttle (Also only every 10min) 🙃 I miss @trimet.org already
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 18/08/2026
You ever just... dream of fully automated metros? Portland's Green Line MAX could become our first #SkyTrain segment - from PDX Airport to Clackamas Town Center. Start off at 10 minute headways (go up to 5 minutes at peak), keep the same car lengths, and fully automate it.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 07/08/2026
Why aren't Politicians acting like we're in a #ClimateCrisis ? Everyone can see it.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 03/08/2026
Heads up #pdxbikes - smoke incoming tomorrow around 1pm. Please be sure to save your lungs and use an N95 mask!
HRRR Smoke model showing smoke inundating Portland around 4pm.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 28/07/2026
Thanks to the amazing volunteers and staff at @watchduty.org for actually making evacuation information accessible: app.watchduty.org An essential toil if you’re in Central/Eastern Oregon.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 27/07/2026
Oregon Sheriff Departments should be required to share evacuation info on PUBLIC websites All evacuation info is only available via Facebook and requires a Facebook account. No account? No evac info. Cc @tinakotek.bsky.social
Article on the Oregon WildfiresLinks to evacuation info for each County, each going to a Facebook page/accountLinks to evacuation info for each County, each going to a Facebook page/account
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 02/07/2026
SB79-style proposal for Oregon would be a game-changer for Transit agencies. Land rents around stations could be used to subsidize transit, rather than relying on payroll taxes.
Another idea Oregon should borrow from California is giving more land use authority to transit agencies: SB 79 allows transit agencies to approve the zoning for their own TOD projects, freeing those agencies from interference from local governments and, more importantly for Oregon, giving a transit agency public developer a more consistent regulatory regime to work under. This would make it easier for Oregon transit agencies to copy Asian transit agencies and use real estate development to support their budgets.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 08/06/2026
Producing hydrogen from Nuclear (pink)/Renewable (green) with excess energy could completely eliminate the reliance on Middle East for fertilizer:
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 15/05/2026
@repdexteror.bsky.social was 🔥 on this markup hearing Burgum is proposing cutting $1B from the National Parks (@altnps.bsky.social), while funding over $1B in Trump vanity projects. "Are you supporting Trump's Vanity project, OR our treasured National Parks?" youtu.be/Zn4EbtdrnKI?...
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 11/05/2026
I recognize that a more likely outcome would be defunding FTA before defunding FHWA, but we can also rejoice in that we might start to move towards bidding of contracts out to international firms. Would love to see these Solaris (Poland-based) triple-articulated busses rolling through US cities.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 08/05/2026
Nice work getting rid of Parking Minimums as well! Hope this spurs more housing the downtown core.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 27/04/2026
Get on the Portland Thorns #BikeBus Wednesday! It should be a beautiful evening
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 10/04/2026
On Greenways, it’s quite easy. Put up bollards that are smaller than the average SUV/Truck width so they would damage their car.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 10/04/2026
Nearly got run down by this asshole SUV diver on a Neighborhood Greenway who was gunning it. The speed bumps did nothing to prevent him from ripping through. Who will have the courage to #BanSUVs across our city?
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 03/04/2026
Eastern/Southern Oregon is bone dry right now, and is expected to have high risk of wildfire in *JUNE* (not even peak of wildfire season). Good time to be prepping. Rx burns, mastication, creating defensible space does work!
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 30/03/2026
The current proposal (grey bars) on a per-acre basis has apartment dwellers paying over 600% compared to 10,000 square-foot lots, and 300% compared to 5,000 SF lots . Apartment dwellers are more likely to take transit, bike, or walk. This is a *highly* regressive proposal. 2/x
Two graphs with the X axis showing R10, R5, and Apartment Dwellers. The left graph shows a graph of Cost per Family, and the right graph showing Cost Per Acre.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 25/03/2026
IKYKYK
"Is this..." meme with the caption "IS THIS TREASON?"
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 20/03/2026
This could be Portland's future. If we're heading to $9/gallon gas, Portland needs to prioritize space for cycling the way Paris has. Crucially, Paris has not shied been putting two-way bike paths on their "arterials" to create direct, comfortable routes. #pdxbike
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 19/03/2026
The segment from Interbay to Market St. is also a doozy at estimated at $1.5-1.9B over 1.5 miles, so ~$1-$1.2B/mile. The tunnel option also comes in at $1.5B, but I'm sure the elevated option is the cheaper option for extending this further north.
Table of  cost breakdowns of Sound Transit Link extension segment from Interbay station to BallardMap of Sound Transit Link extension segment from Interbay station to Ballard
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 19/03/2026
Also, if you want to get *really* spicy, put in two stops at Dravus and Boston, then allow the owners of properties within 1 mile (i.e. Interbay Golf course/big box stores) to buy air rights at $1/ft^3, up to 200 ft. You'll be able to raise ~$15B.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 19/03/2026
Kill your darlings. Replace the Monorail w/ an fully-automated/fully separated Skytrain that runs every 2 minutes at peak. You end up paying more in up-front capital costs, but lower your OpEx significantly.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 10/03/2026
Especially when the Hydrogen Fuel Cell busses for the FX 72 require building an entirely new facility for a technology that doesn't even have a reliable fuel source! I'm all about the triple-car Trollino Trolleybus. 😍🚍
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 11/02/2026
Love being told that I, a non-car-owner, need to pay the same rate as my neighbors who own four 5+ ton death machines that will continue to rip up our roads. Having to cough up $150/year to subsidize "free" parking, Autonomous Tesla pedo-mobiles and monster-sized SUV's/Trucks is NO from me.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 09/01/2026
This is huge. Sec 20 would open the (elevator) door to EU elevator manufacturers.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 29/12/2025
On #3 (from r/bayarea www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/co...) Inverse relationship b/w home value and the subsidy Prop 13 provides. Lots of "old money" locked up in multi-million dollar homes that in desirable zip codes. Loads of $3M+ homes are being assessed at less than 20% of RMV.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 29/12/2025
1. Riding the Lent Bike Bus (the longest Bike Bus in PDX!) 2. Downtown Sunday Parkways - closed for cars, open for PEOPLE 3. Hopping the train & ferry to BC (Galloping Goose 🫶) 4. Shoving my Cargo Bike into an elevator with hundreds of Tamales for Single Stair Kickoff w/ @holz-bau.bsky.social !
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 29/12/2025
Santa takes the MAX too!
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 04/11/2025
Tokyo is just mind-blowing. #tokyotime
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 31/10/2025
And Laurelhurst on the other side of I-84 is solely SFH. It's actually a shorter walk to the station since you don't hit any traffic signals when walking/biking.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 31/10/2025
And directly across the street are a parking lot and a gas station.
Photo of the surface parking lot of the Trader Joe's at Halsey and 42ndGas station at NE 42nd and Halsey
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 08/10/2025
Who has this photo of a bear in sombrero???
Noem’s motorcade then drove out of the facility past a handful of protesters on the street outside, including one dressed as a bear wearing a sombrero.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 02/10/2025
Really terrific resource. Thank you! Oregonians spending over $15k/year on vehicles is incredible. That's over $61 Billion Dollars drained from our pocket books! cc @senkhanhpham.bsky.social @tinakotek.bsky.social
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 23/09/2025
My estimate is each of these would cost b/w $200-300 US, installed. More info here: vimeo.com/380559395
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 23/09/2025
Personally, I think we ought to adopt these "Canada Pucks" (seen in both Vancouver and Victoria, BC) as a temporary measure. These were super versatile, and much less likely to be moved by cars.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 15/09/2025
Is ODOT now saying they are considering a movable span option if things get bad? Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of re-building the 7 interchanges to ensure a fixed span??? At that rate, why not just build a tunnel?
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 13/09/2025
One indication that 2025 may also see lower bike ridership is that BikeTown usage is decreasing (although recent fare hikes are also a factor):
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 07/08/2025
Join us at the NW 20th and Everett Greenway!
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 04/08/2025
Just to color this a bit more: PBOT's total "cost of replacement" for all of it's assets increased by almost $1 Billion in ONE YEAR (2023-2024, Source: www.portland.gov/budget/perfo...). Car infrastructure is bankrupting us. cc @mayorkwilson.bsky.social @councilorgreen.bsky.social
Portland Bureau of Transportation 2023 Asset Report showing total cost of overall replacement as $20.98 Billion.Portland Bureau of Transportation 2024 Asset Report showing total cost of overall replacement as $21.9 Billion.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 29/07/2025
Fascinating that MPO's were universal in asking for more LIHTC subsidies, but then ignore how they could fix their zoning code AND co-locate homes next to transit to bring down CL through increased market supply & reduced transportation costs. MPO's brains are cooked.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 29/07/2025
Massively reduce shootings in your city with this one weird trick: BAN CARS. Side benefit: you’ll also see a reduction in traffic violence, and an increase in people of all ages enjoying the newfound space.
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 24/07/2025
ODOT: We've lost our COBOL mainframe programmer. We will likely have an outage in the next 6 months, and with that outage we won't be able to pay the bills. OTC Chair Brown: I hope the press is picking up on this. (Reader, OTC has been kicking this can down the road for years. Now sh*t gets real)
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 24/07/2025
This is negligence by the OTC and ODOT. Rather than focus on maintenance, OTC just committed millions to a less than 1-mile segment of freeway with zero crashes for "safety."
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 14/07/2025
These next few days are going to be HOT in Portland. Due to the "Urban Heat Island Effect," some n'hods will experience temps over 110 degrees through Wednesday, mostly due to the overabundance of asphalt. One more way cars continue to cost our city dearly. www.columbiaslough.org/blog/portlan...
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RJ Sheperd @rjsheperd.com · 09/07/2025
Pretty amazing that Vancouver has had modular bike parking for 10+ years, but Portland just has these sad boxes at MAX stops.
Photo of a cyclist using a metal bike locker at a Portland MAX stop.
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